To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme
If you’ve ever dipped a toe into the children’s book publishing world, you’ve probably heard cautionary tales about writing in rhyme. In short, most insiders say, “Please don’t rhyme.”
Poetry
Poets and Picture Books
Poets and picture book writers both know the weight of a word, the sound of a syllable, the turn of a line, and they both know that every word matters.
The Voice of My Heart
It works well to read poems here and there from The Voice of My Heart ... but I often find myself caught up in the expressions of love and longing, moving from one poem to the next, contemplating, learning, feeling.
Garvey in the Dark
With her usual positive and hopeful storytelling, Nikki Grimes reminds us that lives changed during the Covid pandemic, affecting many people in many different ways. Garvey's story will resonate deeply with readers of all ages.
Good Luck Gold & more
This book will make you feel, many different feelings. It is filled with poetry and a short essay about the poem on the facing page. There are two or three questions at the bottom of each essay that encourage digging deeper ... into your own experience.
We Are the Future
We Are the Future: Poems with a Voice for Peace is impossible to read without being deeply moved by the open hearts and minds of refugee and immigrant youth in the Seattle area, guided by poets and teachers Merna Hecht and Carrie Stradley.
Reading Mary Oliver with Kids
Sunday mornings find me on zoom with a gathering of kids ages 3 – 10. We call this time Songs & Stories. It is a highlight in my week. They come in their pajamas, often eating breakfast, and usually with some “stuffies” they want to introduce to the group. They are full of energy and good cheer.
In the Neighborhood of Eloise Greenfield
Eloise Greenfield
In this season of gift-giving we want to look at the gift of poetry, specifically the poetry and writing of Eloise Greenfield. Since publishing her first poem in 1962, she has written more than forty-five books for children and was the recipient of the 2018 Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Where She Went
I love book spine poetry, and it’s a great way to get young writers to engage with both books and poetry-writing. Check out your own shelves and see what stories emerge.
Here are some of my own efforts to show you how easy it can be.
Where She Went
Looking for Alaska
Chasing Vermeer
Tracking daddy down
Looking for Alibrandi
In search of Mockingbird
Where the kissing never stops Reality check Reality check:
Don’t you know there’s a war on?… more
Chasing Vermeer
Tracking daddy down
Looking for Alibrandi
In search of Mockingbird
Where the kissing never stops Reality check Reality check:
Don’t you know there’s a war on?… more
Aimée Bissonette
A few days ago, I scanned my many bookshelves in anticipation of writing this piece. My charge was to assemble a small stack of books that had significance to me. Perhaps, I thought, I’ll write about my love for mysteries. After all, I spent countless hours as a young girl devouring the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries before moving on to Agatha Christie, Tony Hillerman, and Sara Paretsky.… more
The Night the Forest Came to Town
A city can be all hard surfaces, concrete, brick, pavement, and glass. Adults can be preoccupied with their devices. Billboards, street lights, every kind of distraction. There's a distinct separation from nature, a disconnect.
Pairing Verse with Nonfiction
Why write nonfiction in verse? If you do, is it still nonfiction? Good questions in a time when genres are expanding.
I’ve used verse in two nonfiction stories: a picture book, Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph, and a book for ages ten and up, Siege: How Washington Kicked the British out of Boston and Launched a Revolution (Candlewick Press).… more
On the Way to East Dene
One day during this dreary Virginia winter, I came across a talk by Susan Cooper, given at Simmons College in 1980. The talk was titled, “Nahum Tarune’s Book.” To explain the title, she begins by quoting an astonishing passage from the introduction of Come Hither by Walter de la Mare, an anthology of poetry first published in 1923:
In my rovings and ramblings as a boy I had often skirted the old stone house in the hollow.… more
Books Are Our Emissaries
As authors, we send our books out into the world and, if we’re lucky, they connect us to good people whose paths we wouldn’t otherwise cross.
For 28 years, Dinner at the Panda Palace has been my excellent emissary.
Dinner at the Panda Palace started as a simple counting and sorting book with lots of animals and a party atmosphere to make the learning fun. … more
Poetry Books That Celebrate
African American History and Culture
Poetry and the spoken word have prominent places in African American culture, due at least in part to a strong oral tradition that has been passed down through generations. Consider including poems from the books below in your read-alouds this month, and the year ahead, as a way to highlight the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history and culture.
… more Bookstorm™: The Stuff of Stars
Before the universe was formed, before time and space existed, there was … nothing. But then … BANG! Stars caught fire and burned so long that they exploded, flinging stardust everywhere. And the ash of those stars turned into planets. Into our Earth. And into us. In a poetic text, Marion Dane Bauer takes readers from the trillionth of a second when our universe was born to the singularities that became each one of us, while vivid illustrations by Ekua Holmes capture the void before the Big Bang and the ensuing life that burst across galaxies.… more
Curiouser and Curiouser with Lee Bennett Hopkins
As I read each of Lee Bennett Hopkins’ collections of poetry, I find my curiosity piqued: “How does he do this?” When I was a grad student, I came across Mr. Hopkins’ book, Books Are by People: interviews with 104 authors and illustrators of books for young children. Those interviews provoked my imagination and propelled my career. It’s a privilege to be interviewing Mr.… more
The Poetry of US
If you’re still looking for holiday gifts or start-the-year-with-a-treat gifts for your home, classroom, a host present, something lasting … consider this book.
The Poetry of US
edited by J. Patrick Lewis
National Geographic Partners, 2018, 192 pages Not everyone can travel to all the dots on our country’s map, but this book transports us throughout America with the power of poetry, engaging all our senses.… more
edited by J. Patrick Lewis
National Geographic Partners, 2018, 192 pages Not everyone can travel to all the dots on our country’s map, but this book transports us throughout America with the power of poetry, engaging all our senses.… more
Pie and Gratitude
November is a month of gratitude — and, for us, a month to celebrate Pie. We all have a favorite. Many of us have childhood memories of good times and pie. We all wait for the days when we can eat pie for breakfast. So we two thought this would be the perfect month to look at picture books about pie.… more
Literary Madeleine: Sing a Song of Seasons
I believe this book belongs in every classroom, every home, and in every child’s life. It is a wondrous book to read, to look at, to memorize, and to talk about with the children around you. It is a Literary Madeleine, scrumptious in every way.
The full title is Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year, edited by Fiona Water and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, it is a wonder.… more
Lucille Clifton: All About Love
Poet Lucille Clifton in a 1998 interview “Doing What You Will Do,” published in Sleeping with One Eye Open: Women Writers and the Art of Survival, said, “I think the oral tradition is the one which is most interesting to me and the voice in which I like to speak.” Asked about the most important aspect of her craft, she answered, “For me, sound … sound, the music of a poem, the feeling are most important.… more
Pomelo Books
What do a university professor from Dallas and a lawyer from Princeton have in common?
Both are passionate about poetry, specifically, poetry in the classroom for everyone, everyday, and about anything, even algebra. Sylvia Vardell, professor and author of educational books for teachers, and Janet Wong, lawyer and author of several dozen books for children, combined their knowledge and poetry passion and created Pomelo Books.… more
Dearie Darling Cuddle Hug: A Tribute to Wendy Watson
When our children were young we both spent many hours with them pouring over Wendy Watson’s illustrations for her sister Clyde’s rhymes in Father Fox’s Pennyrhymes and delighting in the sounds and the silliness of the rhymes themselves. We felt as though we had lost a personal friend when Wendy Watson died, even though we had never met her.… more
With My Hands
Sometimes, a book comes across my desk that sparkles like a gem, attracting my attention, insisting that I stop what I’m doing and read it. This happened when With My Hands: Poems about Making Things arrived last week. I thought I’d take a peek. Next thing you know, I was closing the last page of the book, sighing with contentment. And then I knew I had to read the book all over again.… more
Skinny Dip with Stephanie Calmenson
Author of the beloved Dinner at the Panda Palace, Stephanie Calmenson has shared her love of literature with early childhood and elementary readers by channeling her enthusiasm for their experiences into her books.
Who was your favorite teacher in grades K-7 and why?
I loved my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Cogan, who taught with warmth and joy.… more
Skinny Dip with Margarita Engle
Our current Young People’s Poet Laureate, Margarita Engle has written about the land, the life, and the heroes of Cuba, along with verse novels, picture books, and biographies of heroes the world over.
What is your favorite daydream?
I love to dream of instant travel, like the “beam me up” gadget in old Star Trek episodes. There are so many places I want to see, and so many people I want to visit more often, especially relatives in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Cuba.… more
Skinny Dip with Joyce Sidman
From the first time, many years ago, that I heard Joyce Sidman read aloud from her poetry, when Eureka! Poems about Inventors was about to be released, I knew this woman carried magic in her soul. Working magic with words, writing about science and our very human emotions … Joyce has become a favorite author for many readers.
Who was your favorite teacher in grades K-7 and why?… more
Skinny Dip with Lee Bennett Hopkins
You cannot be a part of the children’s literature community without knowing his name. Lee Bennett Hopkins has been writing for children and adults since 1968. His Books Are by People (1969) had a profound effect on me. With his anthologies, he has kept our eyes focused on poetry, knowing how much children love the images and emotions evoked by well-chosen words.… more
Read Out Loud for Easter
As you prepare to celebrate Easter, we encourage you to include books in your celebration. A tradition of reading out loud before Easter dinner, after Easter dinner, as you awaken on Easter morning … perhaps each day during Holy Week? Here are a few gems we believe you and your family will treasure. Happy Easter!
At Jerusalem’s Gate: Poems of Easter
written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by David Frampton
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005 There are twenty-two free-form poems in this book, each from the point of view of a witness to the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
… more written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by David Frampton
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005 There are twenty-two free-form poems in this book, each from the point of view of a witness to the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Behind the Poem, “What She Asked”
Listen to Virginia’s poem, “What She Asked,” on Poetry Mosaic, the April 7th entry, and then read her description of the real-life event behind the poem.
In a rural Oregon high school where I taught English more than 20 years ago, we had big teaching areas separated by screen-wall things, but they came nowhere near reaching the high ceiling, because a few years earlier the design of the school had been to have a giant Resource Center and Library, and teachers and groups of students would ideally meet in sections of the massive room, and that would be school.… more
Merna Ann Hecht and Our Table of Memories
When one poet, Merna Ann Hecht, and one educator, Carrie Stradley, observed their community, their schools, their students, and realized that a plethora of life experiences surrounded them, they put their teaching and their hearts together to create The Stories of Arrival: Refugee and Immigrant Youth Voices Poetry Project at Foster High School, in Tukwila, Washington.… more
Charles Ghigna, Champion of Poetry
Our thanks to author and poet Charles Ghigna (GEEN-yuh) for taking time out from his writing, school visits, and conference tours to answer these questions which have been knock-knock-knockin’ on my brain since I first began reading his many books of poetry and, now, a nonfiction book about fascinating animals!
Do you remember when you first read a poem and it caught your attention?… more
Thanksgiving is a Good Time for a Book
As food is being prepared and family gathers, as food is being digested and some people are napping, as sports and shopping beckon, perhaps it's a good time to take out a stack of Thanksgiving books to read aloud as a family.
Reading Memories
Memories of my childhood are imperfect. Yours, too?
I don’t remember having a lot of books as a child. I remember The Poky Little Puppy and another dog book (title unknown) and Three Little Kittens (perhaps a reminder to me to keep track of my mittens).
I remember using the school library voraciously to read books. I had no access to the public library (too far away) so that school library was my lifeline.… more
Dear Poet: Notes to a Young Writer
This month Charles Ghigna, well-known as the poet Father Goose, offers “Dear Poet: Notes to a Young Writer.” There is much to ponder here, no matter what your age might be, but young writers especially will find these words of encouragement to be useful and inspirational. For example:
Trust
your instincts
to write. Question
your reasons
not to.… more
your instincts
to write. Question
your reasons
not to.… more
Melissa Sweet
In this interview with Melissa Sweet, illustrator of A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, our Bookstorm™ this month, we asked six questions and Melissa kindly took time from her busy days of visiting schools and creating art.
Do you recall the first time you encountered a William Carlos Williams poem? My first introduction to William Carlos Williams was when I was seven years old and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.… more
Do you recall the first time you encountered a William Carlos Williams poem? My first introduction to William Carlos Williams was when I was seven years old and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.… more
Jen Bryant
In this interview with Jen Bryant, author of A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, our Bookstorm™ this month.
Do you recall the first time you encountered a William Carlos Williams poem?
I was in high school—and it was part of an anthology reading that we did for English class. I had disliked/not understood/ been unmoved by all of the other poems in this assigned reading (I recall that the language in those poems was archaic and flowery, and the forms very, VERY traditional)—and then—whooosh—like a breath of fresh air, here were a few selected W.… more
Treasure Hunt
One of my favorite road-trip memories is “mud-puddling” in western North Carolina. We had followed signs that lured us in with the promise of gemstones practically free for the taking. The space we wandered into looked like a roadside picnic area, and seemed ideal for the kind of lazy afternoon we had in mind. We each purchased buckets of dirt-covered rocks for a small fee, and then claimed our places along
a bench in front of a trough of running water.… more
a bench in front of a trough of running water.… more
Bookstorm™: A River of Words
Author Jen Bryant and illustrator Melissa Sweet have teamed up on a number of picture book biographies about creative artists. We’ve chosen to feature their very first collaboration during this month in which poetry takes the spotlight. By telling us the true story about poet William Carlos Williams’ childhood and growing up, with his clear poetry surrounding the pages, they awaken interest in young people who may think this no-longer-living, ancient (he was born in 1883 and died in 1963) poet is not within reach.… more
The Jungle Book
The word exquisite once won the game for me while playing Password. I have been fond of that word since that time and look for instances where it applies. That is surely the illustrated edition of The Jungle Book, written by Rudyard Kipling all of those years ago, and newly illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Candlewick published this edition of the classic stories and their classics are worth collecting, reading, and treasuring.… more
Molting Advice
Level 1 books teem with action. Illustrations match the narrative. If the reader has trouble decoding the text, the art provides necessary cues.